Effect of nitrogen limitation on growth, total lipid accumulation and protein amount in Scenedesmus acutus as biofuel reactor candidate

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 33 - 38, 30.09.2017

Nur Agirman Ahmet Cetin

https://doi.org/10.20863/nsd.322614

Cited By: 7

Abstract

Objective: In this study effects of nitrogen
limitation on growth, total lipid and protein amount in Scenedesmus acutus.

Material and Methods: The microalgal
strain of Scenedesmus acutus used in this study was isolated from the Keban
Reservoir in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey was grown in Jaworsky’s medium. Algal
cells were calculated by measuring the optical density at 680 nm using a
visible density spectrophotometer. The total lipid content was determined using
the Bligh and Dyer method. The total protein content was determined by the
Lowry method.

Results: The results show that there is an
inverse relationship between cellular growth, lipid amount and nitrogen
concentration. S. acutus survived all the nitrogen concentrations tested and
increases were observed in the amount of its cellular lipid. It was determined
that there was enough nitrogen in the nitrogen-limited media to support protein
synthesis and cell growth of S. acutus and that the amount of lipid in the 50%
nitrogen-limited media was 19.48% higher than that in the control group.

Conclusion: S. acutus survived all the nitrogen
concentrations tested and increases were observed in the amount of its cellular
lipid. Significant increase in the amount of lipid in Scenedesmus acutus
subjected to nitrogen stress suggests the idea that the microalga in question
can be one of the potential organisms that can be used to obtain biofuel.

Keywords

Scenedesmus acutus, nitrogen limitation, protein, lipid, biofuel

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